Gratitude
by RaptorChicky
Summary: Oh, great...I've succumbed to the infamous "blanket scenario." Though, like with some of my other works, I've given it my own twist. InuKag (Duh. Is there any other kind?)


**Summary:** Blanket scenario, with a twist, courtesy of moi. (Oh, God, I've succumbed!!) Kag/Inu (Is there any other??)  
**Disclaimer:** Inuyasha is not mine. Now leave me alone so I can sulk.  
**Category/Rating:** General; PG, little bit of swearing, but nothing to get nervous about.  
**Reviews:** Uhhh, sure, I s'pose. I'll be the first to admit this ain't a work of art, but if you wanna review (no flames please), knock yourself out. I know I'll appreciate it.  
A/N: This is just something that was lying around in my files and I decided to submit it since I appear to getting nowhere with my current story (precedes to throttles muse "Why- Aren't- You- WORKING?!?!!!"). And this is my first attempt at WAFFiness, so, trust me, this is a stretch for me. A REALLY big stretch…

**Gratitude  
**RaptorChicky

"I'm fine, wench!"  
"But, Inuyasha—"  
"I said I'm fine! Now quit bugging me about it!" Inuyasha snapped, wringing the water from his long silver hair.  
Kagome huffed and crossed her arms, snuggling into her parka. _Why does he always have to be such a stubborn ass?! It's not my fault that he fell through the ice! Stupid Inuyasha. Stupid demon._ She glanced back and scowled at the bloodstained snow that blanketed the riverbank—all that was left of the demon that had attacked them, or actually attacked her for the Shikon shards. It had failed miserably, its head removed in a most unpleasant manner by the Tetsusaiga, but it had managed to send Inuyasha through the ice that encrusted the wide river before it died.  
"Well, are you coming, or are you going to stand there like the idiot like you are?"  
Whipping her head around, Kagome found Inuyasha standing a few yards away, impatiently waiting for her. Resisting the urge to sit the arrogant hanyou into the nearest snowdrift, she glared at him and followed after him. "Jerk," she muttered. _We should at least try to find some shelter or something—even if the cold doesn't affect him, those soaked robed have to be uncomfortable… And why do I care if he's uncomfortable?! He's the moron who wanted to go out in this weather. Him and his precious shards—that's all that matters to him. Jerk._ Kagome silently fumed, watching the fluffy snowflakes that had been floating down for the past hour come down at an increased rate. Even though she didn't have the increased senses like Inuyasha, she could still smell the blizzard in the air and it was closing in on them quicker than she'd expected—she hoped they could make it back to Kaede's before the blizzard did hit. Ahead of her, Inuyasha strode through the snow, barefooted, no less, and he showed no ill-effects of his impromptu dunking. Kagome found herself admiring how the breeze gusted through his long hair, and how the falling snow matched his silvery hair and ears; she shook herself from where her thoughts were going. _Just forget it girl. You know nothing's going to happen. You'll just end up with a broken heart...  
_ Inuyasha heard a faint sniffle and told himself that it was just the cold affecting Kagome, though he knew better. _What is with this girl?! She's always crying over something!_ But this time, he had the suspicion that he had something to do with her sadness, like he usually did nowadays. She suddenly plowed ahead of him, her dark head bowed so he couldn't see her face; guilt gnawed at him and he wished he knew how to make her happy again. _Me out of her life, that's how_, he thought, his ears drooping. _She had a normal life before she met me and I fucked it up for her—she's always complaining about that school thing and how she misses her friends. Once that damn Jewel is completed, she'll go back to her time and forget all about me and have her life back, just like she's always wanted.  
__ Fine!_ he suddenly snarled. _Let her go back! Who gives a rat's ass, anyway? I can have my life back too!  
_ He kept grumbling to himself, working himself into a mild rage aimed at Kagome, hoping he would forget that he was actually angry with himself, and not the girl. So absorbed in his self-contained ranting, Inuyasha failed to notice how Kagome was increasing the distance between them, even though she wasn't walking any faster, or how the wind had picked up, whipping up the falling snow, and sending a sharp chill to his core. When he finally looked up, the young miko was disappearing over the crest of a hill. _Aw, hell._ Fangs chattering against each other, he shivered and rubbed his hands over his arms, slowly making progress through the drifts. He was starting to regret his choice in brushing off Kagome and her concern for him, but having someone worry for him was an experience he was no longer used to, so he no longer knew how to react to it. _She means well, though I don't know why she'd give a shit about me…_ It took him longer than he'd expected to reach the top of the hill Kagome had vanished over, and she wasn't waiting for him, like he'd thought she'd be. Instead, she was even further ahead of him, cresting yet another rise—apparently, she was unaware of her hanyou companion's slowing pace. As he trudged after the girl, Inuyasha racked his brain, trying to recall the layout of the area, trying to remember where possible shelter could be; at their current pace, they would not reach the village before the snow really started to fly and he did not wish to be caught in the storm—no way could Kagome handle it, and extreme cold always would affect a living being, youkai or not.  
Kagome paused at the top of the second hill, enjoying the view as she gazed down into the valley. It was just like one of those picturesque post cards one could buy at a sky resort. Looking beyond the valley, she figured that the village lay beyond the next two or three rises and that it would take perhaps another hour of walking. She shifted the pack on her shoulders and turned to call out to Inuyasha, shielding her eyes from the snow that was being blown about. "Hey, Inuyasha! We're almost—" She halted and blinked. _Where is he…? He was right behind me…_ Her flint-grey eyes scanned over the landscape, trying to find her companion and she almost missed the flash of red half buried in the virgin snow. "Oh no!" Nearly falling head over heels as she raced down the slope, Kagome's heart started to pound madly within her ribcage and it nearly exploded when she knelt in the snow beside Inuyasha. He had collapsed face first into the white powder, his heavy robes frozen stiff around his frame, and he looked terribly pale—too pale for Kagome's tastes. A sharp wind pushed against her, blowing her ebony locks into her face and she brushed them back and pulled up her hood, frantically wondering what to do—it was typically Inuyasha saving her, not the other way around. _Okay, settle down. Breathe. Need to think. Okay… Have to get someplace warm, obviously, but where?_ "Inuyasha…?" Kagome struggled to lift the unresponsive hanyou, but he was heavier than he looked. "Come on Inuyasha! I need you to wake up!" she hissed, patting his cheek as he sagged heavily against her. "I can't carry you! Wake up! Please!"   
There was still no response from the hanyou.  
_Okay, get it together Kagome! Sitting here and yelling at him isn't going to do any good—it never does—you gotta move!_ Somehow, she found the strength to stand, bringing Inuyasha with her, draping one of his arms over her shoulders as she wrapped one of her arms around his waist. Kagome stood there for a moment, collecting herself, and then started back the way she had just come. "I'll get you back to the village," she said through clenched teeth. "I have to."  
"No… You don't…"  
She jumped at the weak voice, nearly dropping her cargo. "Inuyasha?!"  
He gazed at her with unfocused eyes. "You- you can't make it to the Kaede-baba's… The storm…"  
"I don't care! If I don't, you'll freeze to death!"  
"Doesn't matter. There should- should be a small shrine around here." His hand came up and weakly motioned to the west. "Not sure though…been awhile since I explored this area."  
"Okay then. That's good. How far is it and do you think you can make it there with my help?"  
Inuyasha nodded slightly. "Not too far thankfully…"  
And he was right—the shrine was only 15 minutes away, but unfortunately, Inuyasha made it only half way. Kagome felt his entire body trembling as it fought to stay warm, only to lose out in the end; he slipped back into unconsciousness and Kagome staggered underneath his dead weight. She found the shrine and was dismayed to find that it was had been long abandoned—she'd been thinking it was something with a bit more upkeep, but shelter was shelter and she was not going to turn it down. Dragging Inuyasha inside out of the increasing storm, she slid the wooden door shut, thankful that there was a door to shut.  
_Okay, fire, need a fire…_ Kagome darted about the small shelter like a trapped bird, snatching up anything she could use to fuel a much needed fire and was rewarded with an armful of wood; setting some off to the side, she set the rest on the bare earth in a previously used fire pit. She practically dumped the contents of her pack out during her search for her matches, but she did find them, buried at the bottom of the voluminous bag. _Of course…_ she muttered, striking a match against the box, releasing a tiny flame from the match head. Shielding the little fire against the gusts that snuck through cracks in the wall, Kagome lowered her hands to the small woodpile and urged the tinder to start ablaze; she whispered a few words of thanks when the tiny dancing flame sparked and grew.   
As the warm from the crackling fire slowly made its way through her body, the young miko quickly turned her attention back to Inuyasha. He was still unconscious, not even shivering anymore and she did not care for the bluish tinge his lips were taking. "Aw, nonono! You aren't doing this to me!" Grabbing her sleeping bag, she unfurled it next to the fire, but not too close, and dragged Inuyasha on top of it. She knew what she had to do next, but she still hesitated. _He's going to kill me when he wakes up! But, I have to- to—_ Kagome gulped silently. _Have to strip him._ Her eyes went heavenward, _Do enjoy torturing me or something?  
__Oh, come on_, a little voice inside of her teased, _You can't say you didn't enjoy him coming into your room with nothing on, save for a few soap bubbles.  
__I did not! I was busy studying and he—  
__Or how his robes just cling to him after he's been dunked in a stream or lake? Come on…  
__No! I—  
__Or how about that time you caught him nearly passed out in that hot spring? Nice view, hmmmmm?  
__It was not! I screamed and- and—  
__And????  
_Kagome buried her face in her hands. Damn that little voice in her head! _Alright! Fine! It was a nice view! A very nice view! Now shut up and let me do my job!!  
_Somehow, Kagome made herself detach her emotions from the task at hand, but as she peeled his haori off and started to remove his inner yukata, her emotions basically said "screw this!" and came back full force, making her belly flutter with crack-addict butterflies as her eyes roved over the hanyou's nicely built chest and shoulders. And then, she came down his hakama and hesitated once more. Biting her lip, _Oh, please, let him wear something under there! Please!  
__Yeah, right, like you really want that…  
_"Shut up!" Kagome hissed, pushing all her little gutter-brained thoughts into the darkest recesses of her mind. Her hands shot out, loosening the ties of his hakama, and with her eyes squeezed tightly shut, she shucked Inuyasha of the red hakama. One eye cracked itself open a millimeter and she let out a sigh of relief, opening her eyes all the way—Inuyasha was wearing something "under there."  
A blanket found itself pulled out of Kagome's bag of many things and tucked tightly around the unconscious hanyou; for added warmth, Kagome removed her parka and draped it over Inuyasha as well. Settling herself down, she took Inuyasha's clothes and spread them out near the fire so they could dry out and be ready to wear when he woke up, whenever that would be. Now kneeling next to Inuyasha, Kagome gently stroked damp strands of silver out of his face, all the while frowning to herself—he was shivering now, but he wasn't warming up fast enough. _I have a fire, I removed his wet clothes, and I covered him up, so what else is there I can do to help him?_ She looked down at the hand that was still combing through Inuyasha's hair—even though he was not aware of his actions, Inuyasha's head turned toward the warmth her hand offered. _Me. That's what I can do. I'm the best source of heat here._ There was no hesitation this time as she kicked off her shoes, peeled her turtleneck sweater off, and tugged her jeans off. Kagome shivered when the cold hit her bare skin and it was incentive to crawl under the blanket, joining Inuyasha.  
At first, she lay just off to his side, her arm flung over his chest, one leg draped over his, but it wasn't enough, so she adjusted positions, placing her entire body on top of his, letting her warmth seep into his body. Kagome flushed at the intimacy of their contact—she'd been this close to him before, but they were clothed at the time and they were too busy trying to save their own lives to pay attention to their closeness. Resting her head on his shoulder, she couldn't help but feel how solidly built Inuyasha was; she doubted any boy from her time had the kind of definition that Inuyasha had—it barely hinted at the strength he possessed. And there wasn't a mark on him, despite all the horrible injuries he had suffered during their travels; even where Sesshoumaru had literally shish-kabobbed him with his hand, there was no scar. She wondered what the hanyou would look like if dressed in 'modern' clothes and smiled—her friends would go wild, especially Yuka, and would throw themselves at the young silver-haired demon. _Well, tough. He belongs to someone else…  
_A shiver ran through his entire frame and Inuyasha moaned quietly in his sleep; Kagome snuggled in closer, holding lightly onto his shoulders and pulling the blanket in closer so as to trap every ounce of heat. His shivering lessened and Inuyasha's body slowly relaxed. Kagome thought about how young and peaceful he looked as she gazed up at his face. Knowing that nobody would catch her, the young woman tilted her face up and planted a tender kiss on Inuyasha's strong jaw line. _It's just not me, though…_ she thought sadly as she tucked her head under his chin.   
She wasn't sure how long they lay there like that, but Inuyasha's tremors died away and Kagome could feel his body regaining its own warmth. Part of her warned that she would receive a harsh chewing out from the hanyou if her found her lying on top of him when both were nearly naked, accusing her of turning into a female version of Miroku, but Kagome simply couldn't force herself to remove herself from him—this was probably going to be the only time she got this close to him and she was going to wring as much out of it as possible.  
As the blizzard howled away outside, Kagome was lulled to sleep by Inuyasha's gentle heartbeat.   
VVVV  
Something was tickling his nose and would not leave him alone. He forced a breath out, hoping to remove whatever was teasing him, but it was back after a few moments. He hated to move—he was rather comfortable at the moment, as he was delightfully warm and there was a pleasant weight resting on top of him—but it was driving him nuts. Opening his eyes, Inuyasha blinked, surprised to find an ebony head resting on his shoulder. _Kagome…?_ Moving one hand up, he lightly touched the girl's cheek, caressing it with one of his claws. No, this wasn't a dream, and yes, Kagome was there on top of him and it was one strand of her hair that was bugging his nose. He combed the strand away, placing it back with its mates. His hand continued to gently comb through Kagome's locks as he took in his surroundings: she'd gotten him to the shrine and had gotten a fire going, all on her own. Peeking under the blanket that covered them, he promptly snapped it back down, blushing. _And stripped the both of us down to practically nothing.__ Why in the hell would she do that?  
__Because she saved you, dumbass. Honestly, I'm surprised she would sacrifice this much for you, considering how you treat her. Hell, I'm downright stunned she actually gives a shit about your well-being, all things considered…  
_ Inuyasha bit his lip—for once he had no sharp retort for that little inner voice that was constantly chiding him. Why? Because it was right and Inuyasha was not going to deny it, unlike everything else that he denied when it came to the girl sprawled out on top of him. _She did save me, and I owe her…_ Inuyasha's mind wandered back to a time when he was still a pup and was going through his first winter without his mother. If it hadn't been for an elderly hoshi taking pity on an orphaned hanyou child…  
He shifted positions, uncomfortable with where his mind was going, and with the crick forming in his back. Kagome responded to his movement by gripping his shoulders tighter and moaning, mumbling in her sleep.  
"No…Inu—…don't go…" she whispered, squirming closer to him.  
Without thought, Inuyasha's arms came up and snaked around the girl, one over her small waist, the other over her delicate shoulders. Gently kneading the base of Kagome's neck, "Shhhh, its okay. I'm not going anywhere. Go back to sleep," Inuyasha whispered into her ear, in a tone that would tip her over if she was awake. His other hand started to absently rub her lower back in small circles and she settled down, a content smile gracing her lips; working her nose into his neck, a happy little sigh escaped her. Inuyasha smiled, something he had found himself doing more often ever since Kagome entered his life, though she had never caught him doing it—he had an image to maintain, after all—and lifted his head just enough so he could brush his lips against her soft hair, kissing the crown of her head. He settled back down and waited, the smile still playing across his mouth.  
He would thank her properly when she woke up.  
Fin

Gah! Why won't ff.net let me have my little symbol breaks?! Letters look lame! Anyhoo...  
What? You expected confessions of undying love? Come on, most of the blanket scenarios end that way and I don't feel like perpetuating the cliché. Besides, I highly doubt Inuyasha would flat out tell Kagome that he loved her—Mr. Articulate would show her. Yee-ha! So, feel free to end this fic with your own personalized hentai thoughts. :D


End file.
